Dianne B. McKay, MD, FAST

Dianne B McKay, MD, is a board-certified nephrologist who specializes in kidney transplantation. She is the medical director of the kidney transplant program at UC San Diego Health. Her expertise includes pre and post kidney transplant care, pregnancy in transplant recipients, and the care of young adults who are transitioning from pediatric to adult transplant programs. She is also the current AST President.

As a professor in the Department of Medicine, Dr. McKay instructs medical students, residents, and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She is a national expert in transplant immunology and maintains an active National Institutes of Heath (NIH)-funded laboratory that studies ways to prevent kidney graft loss before and after transplantation.

Dr. McKay has authored over 70 scientific papers, has written numerous book chapters, and published a book on kidney transplantation that is widely used by doctors caring for transplant recipients.

Prior to joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. McKay was an associate professor at The Scripps Research Institute, where her NIH-funded laboratory investigated innate immune mechanisms of renal ischemia.

Dr. McKay completed a fellowship in nephrology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York. Dr. McKay earned her medical degree from Chicago Medical School. She is board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology.

Active on numerous professional societies, Dr. McKay is also a member of the American Society of Nephrology and serves on its transplant advisory group committee.

Outside of work, Dr. McKay enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.

Patient Information

The American Society of Transplantation is an organization of professionals dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation and improving patient care by promoting research, education, advocacy, and organ donation.